You start working in a Carnival + 10 Plot Hooks at the Carnival

The generic “you all start in a tavern” is a bit old hat. Some people skip this by just starting in the dungeon, or even in medias res if you know your group and you're actually good at DM'ing. But consider the following starting location: You all start as Carnies. Or traveling minstrels, whatever.

You are all carnival workers. You're all very poor. (Motivation for adventuring). And you travel around from place to place. (Letting you arrive in adventure locations and new modules; you just go where the carnival goes). All of you are also very skilled in specific things.

Look at your character's stats. Whatever stat is your highest stat, this is your normal “job”. Basing it on your class might be better, but most people pick their class based on their stats anyway.

Strength: Strongmen, bearded lady, the “gorilla”.

Dexterity: Jugglers, tightrope walkers, horse jumpers, knife throwers, etc.

Constitution: Sword swallower, fat lady, geek.

Intelligence: Fire breather, scam artists, stilt-walkers.

Wisdom: Lion tamer, fortune teller, clowns. (Makes sense if you think about it.)

Charisma: Hucksters, prostitutes, the ringmaster.

You need money. You aren't well liked, you lack social connections, and the only people you've got to watch your back are your friends. Combine this with a more rigid caste system or stratified society with little social mobility (like your standard middle ages fantasy world)- delving into dangerous tombs becomes one of the only ways for you to actually achieve something. If this be just for a bit of luxury, to help your carnival, or to try and escape this unfulfilling life.

Whenever you return from an adventure, you can take along a trophy that may act as a sideshow attraction. “Come one, come all, and see a REAL dragon skull!!!” You can even brag about being the one who killed it, though nobody will believe you. That's part of the fun.

Plot Hooks at the Carnival- Roll d10

[1] There's a kid who is really good at the dart game. Says he's practicing so he can take down the harpies at his uncle's farm.

[2] Some patrons at the sideshow are gawking at the fake mermaid skeleton. “Woah, that looks just like the thing down at Pirate's Cove!”

[3] One of your stilt walkers falls down in the middle of a performance. The bite in the wood does not look like any animal you've ever seen before.

[4] One of the tigers looks incredibly scared whenever its cage is exposed to the East.

[5] You patch up some holes for the big top when, in the middle of the night, a bunch of stirges rip through the patches and suck blood from a bunch of caged animals. They must have a nest a few hours from here. If you want to increase the stakes; the animals will die with continual feeding and you can't pack up the traveling show yet.

[6] The fortune teller at the carnival has a spasm and reveals they had a very real vision of something evil stirring underneath the ruins where the carnival has set up.

[7] Two clowns get into a fight at how to split a coin they got as a tip. When it is split directly down the middle; the two pieces magnetize back together and reform. This coin seems new, but the local mint that produced it has been abandoned for decades.

[8] The people in the carnival are starting to get sick from the water. The nearby stream has occasional streaks of black liquid and what appear to be bones floating down river.

[9] There is an orc, goblin, minotaur, or other demihuman/monster character who seeks refuge among the carnies. They say their group expelled them when they refused to serve a new dark master that has taken over- a dragon, lich, beholder, dark sorcerer, or some other large threat.

[10] The true heir to the throne accidentally reveals himself in an attraction. Maybe he smashes the strength test machine in a million pieces because the King's bloodline is super strong or whatever.

20 Ways to get Dungeon Hints in the Town

[1] The children in the village have a creepy nursery rhyme related to the dungeon they hum and sing when they play in the streets.

[2] Sacred shrine of the local folk religion has a mural depicting a priestess banishing monsters back into a pit in the ground.

[3] Once yearly harvest festival celebration conveniently happening when the party is in town. Features a giant paper mache dungeon monster being “slain” by someone dressed as a knight.

[4] Old seamstress. She'll bore you to tears about all four of her husbands who died in the dungeon, and how they died. Seems strangely enthusiastic and lighthearted about telling people this.

[5] The cellar in the tavern is made of the same brick and masonry as the style in the dungeon. The secret lever hidden in an archway is the same as the one in the dungeon too.

[6] A single, 1 HD monster from the dungeon got loose inside some lady's attic.

[7] Village drunk swears that an evil spellcaster in the dungeon is whispering spell incantations in his ear whenever he sleeps.

[8] The richest farmer in the village has an antique family heirloom from the village, made of the same gray-green metal as the bladed traps of the dungeon were forged.

[9] The Lord of the village has gotten a few 'gifts' over the years of strange, presumably cursed items from the dungeon that he has locked away in a dusty corner of his estate.

[10] Skilled herbalist has healed multiple poisoned victims from the dungeons over the years. What kind of poison? Gather herbs for her all day in the heat and she'll tell you.

[11] Once every year, the villagers don't drink from the river as a strange yellow dye flows down it from the mouth of the dungeon that feeds the river. If you drink the dyed water you get a very specific mutation; common in the dungeon.

[12] Some of the villagers here grow a type of fungus from the dungeon in their gardens. They tell you that it's not dangerous; as long as its exposed to sunlight every 24 hours or so.

[13] Old man in the village has a very peculiar old scar he got from the dungeon when he was a lad.

[14] Bard in the tavern regales listeners with a folk song about the townsfolks favorite folk hero; an idiot who got swallowed by a monster so it left everyone else alone. There's a key detail in the song about this monster.

[15] Old Witch has a magical talisman she once used when exploring the dungeon. She won't give it to you; but might tell you why she wore it.

[16] Town militia captain has been scouting the demihuman residents of the dungeon and understands their organization better then anyone.

[17] Gossiping prostitute managed to seduce the last Wizard who traveled to the dungeon. She knows he's dead, but also secretly read a spell or two from his spellbook. It might still be there, or the dungeon residents might have learned them.

[18] Village priest has a few favorite hymns he uses to exorcise the demons and spirits of the dungeon back into submission. Won't teach you unless you donate to the church. Heavily.

[19] Tavern owner claims to have once had a pet creature from the dungeon, but it died years ago. It's buried somewhere in the dirt field between here and way over there.

[20] The village blacksmith has repaired several dented in chunks and cut up pieces of armor from dungeon explorers in his day. He has a pretty good idea what kind of weapons they use there.

10 Fishing Village Rumors + 4 Magic Boats

You get a rumor each time you ask a fisherman in town for a story or rumor. Each rumor has a 1 in 6 chance to be true. If multiple rumors are true, they are all tied together in some strange way. If none of them are true, then this is the most peaceful town in the world.

 Fisherman Tales – 1d10

[1] He once caught a huge eel, which the family cut into round slices that never spoiled. He says his wife has still got one sealed away somewhere.

[2] Once he took a nap in his boat, and when he woke up he saw a river shark dancing on the surface of the water. As soon as he gasped, the shark jumped back into the water and pretended like nothing happened.

[3] Strange orange flickering lights are seen under the water on Sunday nights. If there was a new baby born that day, the lights turn blue and spin in circles instead.

[4] Secretly there is a current in the lake that can whisk a boat out to sea in the span of an hour. You have to knock on the right rock three times.

[5] The fish in this lake are just fine with worms, but if you want to catch the really big ones you have to bait your hook with human flesh.

[6] When it rains, a lonely fish man comes to the shallows to look for his lost love. If you leave a necklace of shells and bones by the shore, you'll sometimes get a glimpse of him dashing out of the water to grab it, before retreating to the depths.

[7] Once, I caught a talking fish. It said it was my grandmother, and said if I let her go she'll tell me about buried gold. I did let her go, but that bitch just swam to the bottom and disappeared.

[8] There was once a little boy in the village who could clap his hands and fish would jump onto shore or into his boat. But he became a soldier and went off to war.

[9] There's a giant crab in this lake. It's shell could be made into nearly impenetrable armor. The only thing that draws it to land is the music of a flute.

[10] Many years ago, an evil cult sacrificed virgins in this lake by tying rocks to their feet and drowning them. Their bones are still down there.

Fishing Boats – 1d4

Each fishing boat can be purchased from the master fisher or local lord of the village. He has 1d4+1 boats. If you roll a 4+1 assume that they are all collecting dust and he'll give a 20% discount.

[1] Armor Boat

Very strangely painted boat, with all kinds of metal joints, rivets, and straps on the inside of it. If dragged onto land and given about an hours time to twist the knobs, the boat collapses and reforms into a bulky suit of armor. Counts as platemail, but made of wood and has its AC permanently lowered by -1 each time an axe strikes it. Takes half as long to snap it back into boat form.

[2] Magician's Canoe

The front of this small boat has a carving of a horned woman, with polished stones for eyes. By smacking the side of the boat with an oar three times, the eyes release a blast of Magic Missile straight ahead, dealing 2d4 damage. It will require a large amount of skill to coordinate the boat's facing with the three oar taps to hit a moving target, but its trivial to hit something stationary.

[3] Razor Hull

Fatter then a normal fishing boat, this one has metal straps built down the sides studded with very sharp hooks and spikes all along its underside. Creatures who try to ensnare or ram the boat will take 1d6 damage if they do, and creatures with tentacles will be unable to get a grip.

[4] Unsinkable Raft

Large flat square raft, no sail or discernible features beyond its strong ropes that bind its logs together, which have been painted white. If the raft ever sinks, you can simply speak a keyword to raise it from the depths, lashing itself back together on the surface as much as it needs to and tightening its ropes around whatever is left of the wood. It is actually the ropes that are magic, not the logs, and by simply tying the ropes around anything underwater and saying the keywords they will raise it up. It can lift something as heavy as a boulder.